Moyes has now run out of excuses

The Manchester United boss has to take responsibility for the poor form of his side.

David Moyes looked like a haunted man when Manchester United flew home from Athens last Wednesday morning.

For the first time since he succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson eight months ago, it seemed that a seismic shift had occurred.

Prior to their abysmal performance against Olympiacos the weakest team left in the Champions League there had always been reasons for bad results.

They were unlucky. The ref was poor. Key players were missing through injury. Their goal was a deflection. Their goal was a worldy. Their goal was offside.

After each disappointment exit from two cups in a matter of days, four home defeats in the Premier League Moyes seems to have said the same thing.

“We played well. It just didn’t go for us today. We’ll put it right.”

And those of us who have watched United over their two decades of success believed that it would come right. Because with this club, it always did.

Even after Olympiacos, it’s difficult to accept that this team doesn’t have a couple of big performances in its locker.

They could turn around the 2-0 deficit in one of those memorable Old Trafford European nights. They could even do what Chelsea did and win the thing.

They could do damage to the title ambitions of their fiercest rivals, City and Liverpool, when they play them this month.

They could even snatch Champions League football for next season with one of their famous late unbeaten runs.

We’ve been conditioned to think like that because under Ferguson, that’s what happened. Time and time again.

But it won’t happen this time because Moyes isn’t Ferguson. The fans know it. More importantly, the players know it.

There were bad performances under Fergie. Sometimes as many as two a season! Under Moyes, you need your toes as well as your fingers to count them.

It’s no help that everyone knows there will be massive personnel changes in the summer.

There’s a £100m war chest available and half the team Moyes is picking are aware that they’re not going to be around next season.

Many more performances and results like last Tuesday’s, and the question will be: ‘Will Moyes?’